Dust collecting and air purifying apparatus



March 17, 1953 M. B. OSBORNE ET AL DUST COLLECTING AND AIR PURIFYING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1946 FIG].

F INVENTORS MICHAEL B.OSBORNE AND ADOLPH' E VON SODEN ATTORN/EY Patented Mar. 17, 1953 DUST COLLECTING AND AIIRIPURIFYING APPARATUS Michael B.'O'sbor-n'e, Bijou, Calif., and Adolph F. vonSoden, Las Vegas, N (W.

Application June17, 1946, Serial No. 677,382

our invention relates to dust collecting "and air purifying apparatus. I "Manifestly, 'an object of our invention, is 'to provide an apparatus which will stir and agitate dust particles 'deposited'upon floor, carpets and rugs, then by means of a rotatable fan to draw and carry the dust carrying air into and through a highly charged fence made in a form of screen or a grid and which imparts a positive electrical charge to saidd-ust particles, and then carrying saidcharged dust particles into and through a series of parallel steel plates, screens or grids charged with negative electricity which attracts anddra'ws the 'dus'tparticles out'oi the air stream and holds them, said negatively charged grids being so arranged so that same may be removed and cleaned.

A further obfliectof our invention is to provide said apparatus with a medicated or a scent carrying media which is deposited within a suitable receptacle, prefer-ably 'e'f fluidal consistency or admixed With water, and adapted for purifying the air passing through and out of said apparatus, during the dust collecting operation;

Our invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical in manufactnre relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following descriptien.

Reference is now had to the accompanying drawing, in which the similar reference characters denote the same parts.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2. I

2 is a top plan view of the apparatus, taken .from the top of Fig. l.

Describing our invention more in detail, in its broader aspects, said invention comprises a housing 2, provided with a platform 4 upon which is mounted a driving unit 6, consisting of an electric drive motor 8 having a fan and a generator l2 which is connected to said motor 6 by means of a-coupling member I4.

Said motor 6 and the generator 12 are en closed within a suitable shield It, for preventing the accumulation of dust particles within the working parts thereof.

The front section N3 of said housing 2 is provided with a detachable nozzle 20, which is attached to and held secured in its place and position by means of a ledge member 2 2 extending from an air housing-member 2 4, and when in position, said nozzle 20 may be fastened in place by means of screws or suitable fastening members (not shown). u H

In said nozzle 20 a suitable ianchamber 25 is provided, wherein said ian lll is housed, said chamber having a suitable well 28 which is disposed at the bottom section thereof and adapted for collecting thereinthe dirt particles which can not be-carried by the flow of air passing into said air housing 24. W v

Said nozzle 26 is also provided with a restricted passage 30, the end or" which extends frontwardly and sidewardly, the bottom end section 32 of said nozzle having a throat opening 34 through which the dust laden air is drawn when said fan is revolved by said drive motor '8.

The motor shaft and the fan are connected by a suitable coupling 36 which is mounted within a bearing 38 and wherein a, suitable worm drive ll] is provided for driving a downwardly extending shaft member 42. I 'Said shaft 12 is provided with a drive lever 44, connecting a suitable link member 46, which extends to the front of the apparatus.

Also, said link member 46 connects with a contact lever 3'8 which is mounted upon an oscillating shaft 50, said shaft 50 being mounted in a suitable bearing52, the upper end of which is providediwith a top lever 54 to which an oscillating link 56 is connected at one end, while the other end thereof extends irontwardly and connects with an extension bar member 5 8 which is substantially a fixed or an integral part of an agitator member 60.

'S'aid agitator '60 is .pivotally mounted upon a cross shaft member 62, which extends the length of said throat opening '34. and is mounted thereinahdin position, as shown.

Said agitator 60 is also provided with a .plurality of downwardly extending rods or extensi'on's M, which, if so desired, may be made rigid and an integral part thereof, or be made out or 'fie'xible rubberized material the ends or which extend radial directions and extend sligntiy bemw the surface of the throat opening 34, as shown in Fig. l, for agitating the nap dust and dirt particles, carrying same into the passage 30 and forcing the dust laden air, which is comparatively lighter, into the upper section .and causing same to pass into the discharge passage 66 and then into the air duct 68 of said air housing 24, while the heavier dust and dirt particles are collected within the well 28 of said chamber 26.

In said air duct 68 a pair of grids 10 are positioned allowing the dust laden air to pass through them.

Each of said grids I is charged with a positive electrical charge passing from the direct current generator I2, by connecting the positive lead wires thereto, while the negative grids 72 are connected to the negative electric charge passing from said generator 12.

In this manner the positively charged dust passing through said air duct 68 and through said air chamber 14, will pass into and through said negatively charged grids 12, to which said dust particles are attracted and become deposited thereon.

Said negatively charged grids 72 are mounted upon a mounting plate 76 and are removable from their mounted position, so that the dust and the dirt collected thereon may be removed and said grids may be cleaned.

Said mounting plate 76 is made an integral part of a suitable container 78, having a plurality of inlet air passages 88 disposed in between said grids 12, so that the air may pass therethrough and into said container 18.

Also, said container 18 is filled with suitable fluid and is provided with a plurality of bafile plates 82 each extending downwardly into said container from a removable top section 84, and having an air discharge opening or passage 86, as shown.

In operation, when the air passes through said passages 80, said air is forced to be deflected downwardly, and in passing through said fluid disposed in said container 78, said air becomes cleansed, therefore allowing only the air, free from dust, to pass outwardly and be discharged through said passage 86 of said apparatus.

Also, it may be noted, that said container 18 may, if so desired, be filled with a medicated preparation, germicidal or aromatic fluid, which may be one or a combination of fluids, for accomplishing the desired purpose and not only when the apparatus is employed for removing the dust and the dirt from the floor and carpets, but also said apparatus may be used for cleansing the air within a room or a number of rooms, by mounting said apparatus within a desired area and allowing the air to pass therethrough.

While we have thus described our invention with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

We accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the sp'ecifica-' tion, but reserve the rights in practice to make any and all changes and modifications therein, which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a dust collecting apparatus having an air duct extending from an air inlet to a rearwardly disposed air discharge passage, for di- 5 recting the dust laden flow of air therethrough, a generator adjacent said duct for providing a direct electrical potential, a pair of grids mounted in said air duct, each having lead lines for connecting said generator to said grids for charging said grids with a positive electrical potential, a plurality of grids detachably mounted in said air duct and disposed in close proximity to said air discharge passage parallel to the air flow, each having a set of lead lines for connecting said generator thereto for charging said plurality of grids with a negative electrical potential, and for collecting the dust particles when passing with the air directed through said air duct and from said positively charged grids, and a motor driven fan for forcing air through said duct.

2. In a dust collecting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a fluid container is provided at the rearwardly disposed air discharge passage and in close proximity to said plurality of negatively charged grids, and baffle plates in said fluid container for deflecting the air passing through said discharge passage of said apparatus.

3. In a dust collecting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a container is provided at said rearwardly disposed air passage, a germicidal fluid solution provided in said container for destroying germs and microorganisms in the passing air when discharging from said apparatus.

4. In a dust collecting apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein a fluid container is provided at said rearwardly disposed air discharge passage leading from said air duct and disposed in close proximity to said plurality of negatively charged grids, an aromatic compound disposed in said fluid container for providing an aromatic fragrance in the atmosphere, when said passing air is discharged from said fluid container and when pass-. ing through said discharge passage of said apparatus. MICHAEL B. OSBORNE. .ADOLPH F. VON SODEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

